1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a device for setting up electrical contact among conductors distributed between two elements, which can be used, notably, to make the electrical connection between the outputs of the integrated circuit of a memory card and the electronic part of the card reader.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of magnetic cards is now highly developed. The magnetic card (credit or payment card) plays a role similar to that of the check-book or cash. It is a new system of payment which has been baptised "computerized money". It takes the form of a plastic rectangle, and contains a certain number of items of information. These items of information are either etched in relief on the plastic, so that they can be reproduced by pressure when a transaction is done through the drawing up of an invoice on paper, or recorded electronically on a magnetic track so as to be read (and sometimes modified) by card readers and card encoders which are fitted into cash dispensing machines or transaction terminals.
The great increase in the number of automatic cash-dispensing machines and sales point terminals has promoted the use of cards with magnetic tracks. An international system of ISO standards (ISO 1, ISO 2, ISO 3 tracks) has come into use. Each track may contain a maximum of 100 characters: this represents a low capacity of storage. One of the tracks may be used in writing mode, with a limited capacity, but this necessitates driving at constant speed, thus excluding hand-held readers, called scan readers. With these readers, the magnetic card is slipped by hand into the slot of the machine. As it is being transferred from one end of the slot to the other, a magnetic track associated with the card goes past a reading head which uses the magnetic bits that constitute the encoding of the track.
The magnetic tracks have another drawback, namely imperfect security: this raises the problem of checking access and of the invoicing of telematic services.
For use with checks on access, it is more common to use a reader with frontal insertion. The card is inserted by one of its small sides, and engaged until it comes to a stop along three quarters of its length. The reader is provided with a reading head to process the track and the reading is done, as the case may be, when the card is inserted or removed. The integrated circuit card, more commonly called a memory card, can be used to resolve the problems of standard cards with magnetic tracks: namely, low capacity storage, insecurity of access and of invoicing. In the so-called memory card, there is inserted an integrated circuit, consisting of at least one memory and one logic circuit. The memory card also supports a magnetic track, containing pieces of information which do not require particular protection.
The gradual coming into use of combined cards, namely cards that are provided simultaneously with a magnetic track and a "electronic chip" (type CP8) has necessitated the installation of equipment adapted to these cards.
Thus, the use of a scanning reader leads the outfitter to install a specific reader as an extension the scanning reader. Other types of equipment take the form of a package, incorporating both types of readers and enabling the use of either as the case may be.
The problem that arises with the appearance of memory cards is that of the establishment of electrical contact between the electronic part of the reader and the outputs (8 in number) of the integrated circuit inserted in the card. This contact is particularly difficult and should meet the following imperatives:
there should be excellent technical connection between the electronic processing part and the external contacts of the card, owing to the very low currents used for the processing;
the contacts of the card should not be damaged, in order to ensure that it has long lifetime (several thousands of transactions),
contact with the plastic part of the card should be prevented: this could generate poor electrical contacts through the deterioration of the external contacts,
at the same time, a simple mechanical device should be used in order to ensure low cost price, compatible with widespread use of this equipment.
To meet these imperatives, the invention proposes an original contact-making device which can be applied particularly, but not exclusively, in a frontal reader. A frontal reader, thus formed, can be used, in the field of access checking, for the use of combined cards.